Police-nippers.



M. A'. RUSSELL.

PoucE NIPPEHS APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, i915- Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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MOTT A. RUSSELL, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

POLICE-Nirriins.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 191e.

Application filed March 29, 1915. Serial N o. 17,841.

To all whom t may concern.' j

Be it known that I, MoTT A. RUSSELL, a citizen of the United-States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton andStat/e of Georgia, have invented certain new and `useful Improvements in kl)o`lice-l\l'ip`pers; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will' enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains'to make and use the same.

This invention relates to police nippers, and has for an object to provide nippers which may beset at half cockor partially open in the pocket of the user, with means whereby theyv may be readily and completely opened instantaneously for use, and positive means for locking them rwhen closed.

A further object is to provide means yfor centering the jaws at theinoment they' reach their closed position. y 0

A furthery object` is to provide an'improved form of latch for locking the jaws together.

A further objectvof the invention is to provide an improvement' over Patent #1,116,329 issued to me November 8, 1914.

Vith these and-other objects in view the invention consists in certain features ofconstruction, combination and arrangement'of parts `as will be hereinafter more fully described kand claimed.

Inthe drawings: Figurel 1 is a view in side elevation of the nippers closed, the trigger being depressed to releasing position as by engagement with' lthe limb of af person indicated in dotted lines in such figure. Fig. 2-is a viewl ofthe nippers at half cock or partially open as they will be carried in the pocket ofthe user.4 Fig. is a view showing the jaws entirely open in' the position they will assume when they are to be used. Fig. 4 is ay plan view of theparts as indicatedfby line 4-4 of Fig. with the trigger removed.` Fig5 is aview of the trigger lin side elevation.` Fig. 6 is a top plan; viewv of the trigger as indicated by arrow 6`at Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective detail of the block, and Fig. 8 a perspective' detail ofthe hub at the'finner end of one jaw.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The improved police nippers which form the subject-matter of this application coinprise a handle l0 to which are pivoted the jaws 11 and 12 by the pintles 13 and 14 respectively. The jaws 1l and l2have forked hubs respectively provided with springs 15 and 16 tending to close the jaws, while detents 17 and 18 are yieldingly forced by spring 19 into engagement with teeth 20 and 2l formed upon forward fork-arms of the hubs ofthe jaws 11 and 12. It will be noted especially from Fig. 2 that when the detents 17 and 18 are lin engagement with the teeth 20, the extremities of the jaws 11 and 12 are held slightly spaced apart or half cocked, .and when the detents are in engagement with the teeth 21 the jaws are held entirely open or at the eXtreme of their movement as shown at Fig. 3. For opening the jaws to position to be engaged by the detents, fingers 22 and 23 are formed thereon which are grasped between the thumb andlinger of the user, and pressure thereon serves to move the jaws upon their fulcrum pintles to open position. To lock the jaws in closed position when entirely closed, one of the jawsy as 11 is provided with a socket 24, and the opposed jaw with a hook 25 positioned and proportioned to enter into the socket 24. lVithin the socket 24 is pivoted a latch 26, having a spring 27 tending to hold it in engagement with the hook 25 and provided with a head 28 projecting into the space surrounded by the jaws so that it will be engaged by the captives wrist. This head is undercut so vas to permit the nails of the thumb and finger to be inserted and the head drawn inward to release the latch.

It is obvious that when the jaws are forced" sure applied by the wrist to the head 28 only serves to hold thelatch more .,rmly iny engagement with the hook, and that it is released only by movement against any pressure which would naturally be exerted by the captives wrist within the area of the closed jaws.

To release the detents 17 and 18 and permit the jaws to be closed by their springs a trigger 29 is mounted upon a preferably squared Shaft 30 seated in the squared passage 31 in the handle, such passage being shown more particularly at Fig. 4. At its lower end the shaft 30 is preferably rounded to provide a screw-threaded portion 32, and a smaller reduced portion 33 which is seated within a spring 3-1- as shown more particularly at Figs. 2 and 3, such spring tending to move the shaft 30 and trigger outwardly. Upon the threaded portion 32 a nut 35 is mounted having a knurled periphery 36 extending outwardly through slots 37 in the handle in position to be adjusted while the hub of the nut slides in the socket 38 as shown at Figs. 2 and 3. To provide for the proper centering of the jaws 11 and 12 and to insure the proper entry of the hook 25 into the socket 24C, a block 39 is provided having` shoulders 40 in position to be engaged by the teeth 21 on the rear fork-arms of the hubs of the jaws when such jaws are in proper central position and the outermost front teeth 2O have passed the outer ends of the detents. Also to assist in releasing the nippers when clamped upon a large limb making access to the head 28 inconvenient an opening 41 is provided through which a small plunger key may be inserted to engage against the spring latch 26 and foi-ce it to release the hook 25. IVithin the handle a loop i-2 is provided in which may be engaged a chain, cord or the like by which the nipper may be attached to the person of the user, with outwardly extending branches 43 at the extreme of such handle to prevent the hand of the user from slipping over the end. By the use of the nut 35 the position of the trigger 29 may be adjusted to operate with large or small limbs and to properly clamp such limbs within the jaws 11 and 12.

In operation, it is obvious that with the jaws set at half-cock as shown at F ig. 2 the device may be carried conveniently and with economy of space in the pocket and yet prevent the locking of the hook 25 with the latch 28 to prevent the ready opening of the aws. Wvhen the nippers are to be used, the user can insert his hand into his pocket, grasp the fingers 22 and 23, and pressing them together open the jaws to the position shown at Fig. 3, even .while the nippers are in his pocket or after they are withdrawn, as circumstances may make most desirable. The device then being pushed toward the limb of a person, the limb as indicated by dotted' lines at Fig. 1, engages against the trigger 29, forcing 4the trigger in against the inner ends of the detents 17 and 18, tripping the detents, releasing the hubs of the jaws 11 and 12, and permitting the springs 15 and 16 to force the jaws together until the teeth 21 strike the shoulders 4 0 to center the jaws, and the hook 25 is engaged by the latch 26, thus locking the jaws in closed position about the limb of the pera latch pivoted son upon which it is used. When the nipper is to be released, the nail of the thumb or finger or both are inserted under the overhanging head 28 of the latch 26, and the same moved inwardl against the tension of v the spring 27 out of engagement with the hook 25, permitting the jaws to be opened by the lingers 22 and 23 against the tensions of their own springs. The release of the limb from -between the aws permits the trigger 29 to be forced outwardly by its spring 34, and the detents to be forced outwardly by their spring 19, whereby the device is ready for renewed use.

1. In a police nipper, a handle, a pair of segmental jaws each having a hub pivoted in the upper end of the handle and a nger projecting beyond the hub alongside the handle, and springs throwing the outer ends of said jaws normally together; combined with means for resisting the action of said springs, and devices for tripping said resisting means.

2. In a police nipper, a handle, a. pair of segmental jaws each having a forked inner end pivoted in the handle, one fork arm having a tooth, and means for locking the outer ends of said arms when thrown together; combined with spgrings throwing said jaws normally together,7detents `resisting the action of such springs, means for automatically tripping the detents, and a block in the `handle having shoulders with which said teeth contact for centering the jaws.

3. In a police nipper, a handle, a pair of segmental jaws each having a forked inner end pivoted in the handle, one fork arm having two teeth and the other a singletooth, and means for locking the outer ends of said `arms when thrown together; combined with springs throwing said vjaws normally together, detents engaging said arms having two teeth for holding the jaws apart, means for tripping the detents, and a block having shoulders engaged by said arms having the single teeth for centering the jaws.

4. In a police nipper, the combination lwith a handle, a pair of segmental jaws pivoted thereto, and means for vthrowing their outer ends normally toward each other and for closing them together to define a vlimb-opening; of a hook projecting from the outer end of yone jaw, the corresponding end of the companion jaw having a socket, in the latter and having a head projecting into said limb-opening, a spring for engaging the latch with said hook, and means for moving it still farther into the limb-opening for disengaging it from the hook.

5. Iii a police nipper, the combination with a handle, a pair of segmental jaws pivoted thereto, and means for throwing their outer ends normally toward each other and for closing them together to define a limbshaped to engage said hook when borne outopening; of a hook projecting from the Ward from such limb-opening. 1o outer end of one jaw, the corresponding end In testimony whereof I affix my signa-ture of the companion jaw having e socket, a in presence of two Witnesses.

latch pivoted in the latter and having a head MOTT A. RUSSELL. projecting into said limb-opening and undercut Within such opening for reception of the finger nail, the latch having its extremity Witnesses:

ALBERT G. STEINHEIMER, GEO. S. RUssEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o! Patenti,

Washington, D. C. 

